Harry Potter and Baseball
by superbloggerbynight
Summary: Furuya had a picture of Ron Weasley from Harry Potter stuck in his head when he first met Sawamura Eijun. Catcher!Eijun Furuya/Sawamura


Harry Potter and Baseball

**Fandom**: Diamond no Ace, Ace of Diamond, Diaya no Ace

**Pairing**: Furusawa

**Summary**: Furuya had a picture of Ron Weasley stuck in his head when he first saw Sawamura Eijun. Catcher!Eijun Furusawa

**Warnings**: Catcher!Eijun, eventual Furusawa relationship, spoilers

**Author's notes**: I worked so hard on this and I'm pretty happy with the result of it. No intentional Miyuki-bashing (I don't think I bashed him but just incase…), and I might have made just about everybody a bit ooc so I'm sorry about that.

**Words**: 6k

"_Happiness can be found, even in_

_the darkest of times, if one only _

_on remembers to turn on_

_the light."_

_ -Albus Dumbledore, J. K. Rowling_

Furuya thought this quote was idiotic. But despite this fact, he absolutely loved the Harry Potter book and movies, especially Albus Dumbledore. Sadness was an understatement when Furuya found out that Albus Dumbledore dies. Put aside the death of one the best characters of the entire series, and Furuya thinks the books are golden.

He had a picture of Ron Weasley stuck in his head when he had first saw the Sawamura Eijun, and he doesn't know why. Maybe it was because of their attitudes that just had to be the loudest in the room, or something, but either way Furuya found himself staring at the face of a Japanese Ron that was screaming and was loud and obnoxious.

Furuya never liked Ron Weasley.

Furuya assumed Eijun to be a fellow pitcher, because he had that air around him. Furuya was set on forgetting about him, as his sole purpose was to get to pitch to players that were able to catch his pitches, like Kazuya Miyuki, and not to worry about some rival.

Nothing is going to get in the way of his pitching, not even some loud mouth boy who acts a lot like Ron Weasley.

**X**

After two weeks of running for being late and not apologizing, Furuya expected Coach Kataoka to not let Eijun play at all. Low and behold, after already starting to get demolished for a little while by the second and third years, and quite a bit of begging on Eijun's part, Coach Kataoka put Eijun in. But as the _catcher. _All right, so Furuya didn't know Eijun's official position or bothered to ask, but he could have _sworn _that Eijun was a pitcher.

The first and second years loudly grumbled because it didn't take an idiot to realize that now that loud-mouth Sawamura got up behind the home plate as a catcher, who is supposed to draw out the full potential of the pitcher, and lead them, all hope of them getting at least one run is gone in the wind. To start off, the pitcher for the team wasn't even that good.

Furuya watched the boy, though, as he energetically put on his catching gear with a smile, despite the loud protests from the other teammates.

He grabbed Eijun's wrist before the catcher left the dug out for the player change, curiosity getting the better of the pitcher. "I thought you were a pitcher?"

Eijun laughed, not a vindictive or evil laugh, just one out of pure joy. And to laugh in a stressful situation where they are losing is an amazing skill. "I used to be pitcher and catcher at my middle school, obviously not both of them at the same time, but some games I played pitcher while the others I would be catcher."

"Why'd you chose catcher?" interrogated Furuya.

Eijun shrugged. "I just liked it better." Furuya let go of his wrist and watched his form get warmed up with the no-name pitcher.

A gleeful smile from being able to play could be seen through the heavily protected mask. Furuya may not be able to stand Eijun; but he can admire and respect that face of which Eijun had. A smile reserved for only the things you were crazy about.

**X **

Furuya watched as the no-name pitcher throw a half-assed pitch, which annoyed Furuya to no end. If you were going to pitch, you pitch with all your heart and soul, even if you were being demolished. That is what it means to be a pitcher.

Eijun though, made it work. He caught the out of control ball with ease and threw it to third, which made the runner on second, who looked like he was about to try to steal third, go back to second.

"Satoru Furuya, go get warmed up," Coach Kataoka ordered. "You're going in next."

The first and second years were losing. Badly.

Furuya started to warm up with a person in his grade that he does not remember the name of, keeping half of his attention on the game.

Eijun is talented, Furuya admitted, but talent isn't the only thing that mattered in baseball.

**X**

Everything and everyone was silent as Coach Kataoka, the umpire during the game, had to help Eijun up on to his feet and ease the air back into the boy. The hit was hard, and there was surely going to be an ugly bruise from being hit with such a fastball in the middle of his chest that not even the pad could protect.

Eijun vaguely remembered the pitch. He was readily waiting for the famous fastball that Furuya bragged about during breakfast, and then he watched as Furuya did his windup. Next thing he knew, the ball didn't go anywhere near his mitt. It got air and was raised at the last moment, which made Sawamura get hit in the chest with a killer fastball and had the air knocked out of him.

Murmurs were heard through out the crowd.

"That was amazing!..."

"First-string for sure…"

Eijun finally regained his breath and stood up with a determined glint in his eyes.

His mind was set: he was going to catch for the monster rookie; even he was going to break every bone in his body.

"You passed, Satoru. Be at the first-string's practice starting tomorrow," informed Coach Kataoka.

Furuya simply nodded and headed back to the dugout, grabbing a player who hasn't played at all cool down. Furuya wanted to pitch some more.

He noticed quickly that the loud and impulsive catcher had a bad habit of giving spirited and annoying speeches. Although they were embarrassingly annoying, and Furuya held some embarrassment of his own for the catcher, they always made the team more uplifted and spirited.

He watched the rest of the game silently in the dugout alone. He was there when the first years finally score a run and when Haruichi, a great batter and baseman, and Eijun got put into the second-string.

**X**

Furuya listened to Rei's words, trying to fully comprehend the situation. Furuya was paired with Miyuki and Eijun was paired with a third-year catcher Takigawa Chris Yuu. Excitement of being paired with a capable catcher surges through Furuya and he can't help but be happy.

"Furuya, you will now be given the official pitcher training menu," informed Rei. "And Sawamura, you will be given the official catcher's training menu. Both of you are to follow Miyuki-senpai and Chris-senpai's instructions and teachings. Sawamura will occasionally be catching for Tanba, as Miyuachi has to catch for Kawakami sometimes." Eijun and Furuya nodded in understandment, although the former already had a bad start with one of his teachers.

Eijun and Furuya stood side by side, Eijun in his catching gear and Furuya with his glove and ready to pitch. Eijun wasn't really loud or outspoken during the meeting of training, making Furuya notice that he was extremely serious about baseball and talking to his seniors about his catching abilities.

**X**

He relished the sound of his pitch hitting a mitt, after a long time of only hearing the harsh sounds of a ball against a net. Miyuki gave him a grin, while saying, "Don't hold back." Furuya wouldn't dream of it. The ball was thrown through the air back to Furuya, who had trouble catching it, which made Miyuki cringe.

Of course, though, Furuya and his Senpai weren't the only ones in the bullpen at the moment. He glanced over to the area that Chris-Senpai and Eijun had, and saw Eijun finish stretching while running more laps with a less-then-happy face. They really didn't get along.

He shakes the distractions from his head; the only thing mattering right now is the baseball in his hand and the catcher in front of him, ready to do his worst. No thoughts of unwanted catchers that weren't his are allowed to invade his mind.

**X**

Miyuki let Furuya take a break after the long afternoon practice. He was quick to notice that Furuya had no stamina, and the only way to do that is to run and to pitch for even longer than he was used to, but Furuya wasn't going to let that stop him from pitching, determination raging trough him as much as his bones telling him to sit down and take a rest.

Every now and then, he would glace at the pair of catchers who butted heads occasionally from his seat on a bench, and would be amused at the shorter catcher's antics. They somehow over the past couple of weeks started to have a better relationship, which led to Eijun seriously taking Chris-Senpai as a teacher and mentor. Respect was always shining in the younger boy's eyes whenever he talks to his mentor.

Eijun was crouched in the catcher's stance, mitt out and ready to receive the powerful and fast pitches from their Ace of Seidou. Chris observed the pitcher and the young catcher, pointing out the mistakes of both Tanba and Eijun. Tanba wasn't even thinking about going easy on Eijun, but Eijun really had no qualms about it, as he was just enjoying catching for Tanba with his powerful throws. Tanba, although a bit irked that a first year was catching for him, had no problems with Eijun, for he quickly came to terms with the shorter boy's talent.

Eijun seemed to always be teased by Tanba-san or Chris-Senpai, because - although he is happy to catch – he always had an annoyed expression on, Tanba and Chris-Senpai always chuckling at the catcher's misery of always getting picked on.

Furuya observed them from the sidelines before Miyuki yelled at him to go run for a bit.

**X**

Furuya panted heavily from running with a tire on his back, hardly believing that the scrawny catcher Eijun can lug this around all the time. Tonight was the first night he was practicing in the field alone, training for better stamina. Furuya _hated _running. He hated really anything in baseball that didn't involve pitching.

"Hey, what are you doing? That's my tire!" The sudden and loud voice startled Furuya, and he promptly tripped over his own feet and fell on his face.

"Oh shit! That's the pitcher!" The voice got closer and a sound of feet running towards him filled his dazed senses. He really shouldn't have been surprised to see Eijun helping him up from the ground and in a sitting posisiton.

He looked up at the perpetrator that was in charge of his fall, and then looking away to the side to look at something else while Eijun dawdled over him.

"Are you hurt?" asked Eijun, sitting down to talk eye-to-eye with him.

"No."

"Let's just make sure." The pitcher was then manhandled into a position with his back to Eijun. The catcher took his arm and gently began to stretch his shoulder out. Furuya was deathly aware of the close proximity of the catcher and him.

"This hurt?"

Once again, Furuya answered with a "no."

Eijun released his arm and breathed a relieved sigh. "Thank God, you're not hurt! You should be really careful when running, Monster Rookie. We don't want that arm of yours to be injured, now, do we?"

"Don't call me that."

Eijun laughed. "What, don't like the nickname, Monster Rookie?" he teased.

Furuya despised that nickname, the one that Miyuki gave to him. But, strangely, he didn't mind the words "Monster Rookie" rolling off of Eijun's tongue too badly.

"Don't call me that."

Eijun put his hands up in mock-surrender, a smile creeping up to his lips.

"You should really be careful more often about running," Eijun warned, hands now comfortably in his pockets.

Furuya, having no time to be taken aback at how he noticed Eijun put his hands into his pockets, defended himself. "If some idiot didn't yell, then I wouldn't have fallen."

Eijun chuckled. It was annoying, Furuya deemed. "Well, you took my tire. I couldn't just let you take it from me!"

Furuya rolled his eyes. "It doesn't have your name on it," he countered.

"Actually it does." Eijun took the tire that was lying on the ground and pointed to the inside of it. Written in messy handwriting was _Sawamura Eijun._ "I've been running with this tire since the beginning of the year."

"Well, what loser puts their name on a tire?" Furuya grumbled at the snarky catcher.

Furuya sat down to take a break from running.

"Since you're already going to take a break from running, do you want to play catch?" Eijun suggested; devilish glint in is eyes.

Furuya took up the offer.

**X**

Their nightly meetings continued, with Eijun and Furuya squabbling over a tire and then running alongside one another.

"Can I sit here?" Eijun had asked, pointing to the seat across from Furuya with a lunch tray in hand. It was lunchtime and a week since they started their nightly practices, and Furuya was sitting relatively alone. Not that he had any problems with being alone.

Furuya nodded at his secret practicing partner and the boy took a seat.

Eijun talked his ear off, just talking/yelling about anything and laughing. Every day, after that, Eijun sat with Furuya at lunchtime with Haruichi in tow. Furuya couldn't say he disliked the presence of the loud but cute boy because then he'd be lying.

Furuya was starting to be accustomed to the loud boy around him, started to get less annoyed by his constant loud voice that demands to be heard, and somehow (probably with all the time they spend with one another during their practices and lunch times) they became genuine friends along the way. (Not that Furuya would ever admit that Eijun was his friend.)

**X**

Furuya watched with the rest of first-string from behind the fence to watch the second-string's match. This was the deciding game of who was going to be making the first-string that had two spots open. And Furuya secretly wished that Eijun were going to fill one of those spots.

Furuya's fingers twitch at the pitching and he can't help but be mad that he injured his fingers. He hasn't pitched in forever, and he would've done anything to be the one pitching to Eijun, who was playing an excellent game.

The pitcher, exhausted, threw a slow ball and let a hit get hit off of him. Eijun called for a timeout while jogging up to the mound with the ball in hand. He was relaxed, not a single ounce of tenseness in this tiring match. Eijun handed the ball over to the pitcher with a smile and put a hand on the pitcher's shoulder. They exchanged a few words and the pitcher even laughed. Eijun clapped him on the back before returning to home plate while the pitcher was visibly more relaxed than before.

"How the hell did the kid calm down the pitcher so easily after the other team got a few hits off of him?" Isashiki-senpai said.

Nobody had an answer.

But everybody was curious. What exactly were Eijun's few words that made the pitcher calm down and make a sly smile come on to Eijun's face?

Charming is the first word that came to Furuya's mind as the pitcher finally threw a strike. Eijun just talked to the pitcher and now the kid was throwing strikes.

Eijun signaled something to the pitcher from behind a burly batter and moved his glove just a bit. _An inside pitch, _Furuya thought. And he was correct.

Eijun didn't move his glove, going for another inside pitch. The pitcher looked a bit weary, but trusted Eijun's judgment and threw. The batter apparently thought that it was going to be an outside, pitch and swung. Strike two. Eijun made another signal to the pitcher and the pitcher was on the verge of shaking his head, but that just made Eijun have "almost-smoke" coming out of him, and the pitcher jut nodded timidly.

The moment the ball left the pitcher's hand, Furuya knew it was going to be a ball. But still the batter swung and missed it by a mile. A smile graces Eijun's face; a "Yeah!" was heard from the idiot as that was the third out. He and the pitcher met at the dugout with a relieved face on the pitcher and Eijun smiled reassuringly, taking off the catcher's gear to prepare for his turn at bat. _(Eijun couldn't hit shit.)_

He was pleasantly surprised by how the idiot Eijun could lead so well, and how well he can be a leader. He watched Eijun make conversation with enthusiasm that would make a puppy jealous with Chris-Senpai.

Eijun catches all the innings, surprising many. Seidou wins by one run.

After the formalities of game ending, Eijun glanced at the first string watching from behind the fence on the hill. "So you guys _did _come!" he laughed merrily.

Isashiki was quickly driven to a retort, his temper getting the best of him. "We didn't come for you, idiot! We wanted to see the possible candidates for first string!"

Eijun just flashed a smile and locked eyes with Furuya. And he _waved _at him.

Nobody on the first string missed the interaction between the first string pitcher and the second-string catcher.

**X**

Eijun and Haruichi were moved to first-string and Furuya is finally not the only first year member. Furuya was happy.

Eijun, weirdly, was not. And apparently it was because there were loads of better players that could catch and bat, something he was horrible at. Furuya just rolled his eyes at him and his weird logic, letting Eijun believe what he wanted. In the end, Eijun was a first-stringer now and there was no way to get out of it unless he specifically asked the coach- which Furuya didn't see happening in a million years. The shorter boy's pride just didn't allow that.

The first-string was preparing for the summer training camp, which was basically hell on Earth, if the rumors about the cam were true. Furuya highly doubt it, though, that Coach Kataoka made them run to the next city and back in a couple of hours.

Furuya's mind was set to pitch when he was scheduled to meet in the bullpen with Miyuki-Senpai. He had just finished stretching and warm ups when Miyuki called for him.

"Furuya, get over here." Not one to disobey his senpais, he finished his stretching and jogged over to where Miyuki-senpai was standing and having a conversation with Chris-senpai, and Eijun listening in. Miyuki-senpai wasn't in his catching uniform and was wearing a smug smile, which was never good. Eijun was actually the only one out of the three catchers in his uniform.

"What is it, senpais?" Furuya asked.

"Sawamura is going to be catching for you today. It's better to start working as a battery now since you will eventually pitch to Sawamura, since he is a first-string catcher now," Chris-senpai informed, ever the serious person.

Eijun smirked as if there was an inside secret which Chris-senpai and Miyuki-senpai do not know. And he was right, because they did have a little secret: this wasn't the first time Furuya was going to pitcher to Eijun. Actually, it was just one of many.

**X**

_He hated to admit it, but Eijun was a charmer. He didn't even remember how he got into this situation, covered in sweat while in the bull pen with Eijun in his catching gear, crouching. _

_When Eijun said catch, Furuya expected just two gloves and a ball easily being thrown in between the two teenage boys. He didn't expect for Eijun to put on his catching gear and demand that Furuya pitch his hardest to the shorter catcher. _

"_Do you give up yet?" Furuya asked tiredly._

_Eijun shook his head, a smile plastered on his face. He didn't know how Eijun could smile after being hit with a few out of control balls on his arms and torso, sure to leave a few bruises. _

_Furuya did his wind-up, and gave it to Eijun. Eijun once again didn't catch the fastball for the millionth time. It landed on his forearm, surely to leave a nice bruise in the morning._

_Furuya was all speed and little ball control, Eijun noted. Of course, he would be more than happy to help the pitcher with his lack of control problem. _

_Furuya felt disappointment settle in his stomach, as Eijun didn't catch his pitches at all when he was certain the boy could catch some at least. I guess he isn't as talented as I though, Furuya thought with a sigh. _

"_Don't be like that!" Eijun yelled to the pitcher, obviously panting from the exhaustion of chasing after balls with no control and break-neck speed. "Just one more pitch and we're done."_

_Furuya nodded, complying Eijun's stubborn wishes and wound up. _

_He let the ball fly. _

_There was a satisfactory sound of a baseball hitting a mitt. _

_Eijun jumped from his crouch into the air, the caught-ball proudly in his mitt that he was holding to the sky while crocodile tears streamed hysterically from Sawamura Baka Eijun. _

"_I caught it! Finally!"_

Idiot,_ Furuya thought exhaustedly. But he couldn't stop a small smile gracing his lips from watching the weird catcher. _

_After that first night practice, Eijun was able to catch most of Furuya's pitches with light commentary. _

_He continued to catch for Furuya and Furuya continued to pitch to him during their nightly practices, both never giving up fighting spirit. _

**X**

The chemistry between the first years was shockingly strong, with Furuya pitching extremely heartedly and Sawamura provoking Furuya's motivation.

Furuya had sweat dripping off of him, throwing pitch after pitch with exhaustion in his very bones, but he kept pitching. Eijun's knees were sore from staying in the same position for over an hour, but kept couching because this pitcher was relying on him to catch for him.

_Such a dynamic battery_, Miyuki thought from the side, watching the practice with Chris-senpai at his side.

"You're going to have some stiff competition for that starting catcher's spot, Miyuki-kun." Chris-senpai kept staring at the first years.

Miyuki smirked. "This is going to be so much fun!"

**X**

The competition never actually started.

Miyuki Kazuya and Tanba Koichiro got injured during the practice match, a crushing blow to the Seidou baseball team. Miyuki was trying to block home plate from an incoming runner from third base when they made total collision. Miyuki broke his ankle, and is expected to be able to come back to the team as a catcher in the finals of the Summer Tournament.

Tanba was hit in the face with a returning ball from the batter. His jaw was fractured, and is supposed to return after the tournament started.

Seidou's ace and prodigy catcher were injured right before the Summer Tournament, and was the talk of the high school baseball society.

Eijun was sitting on the bench next to the vending machines, after receiving the news of the injuries of his senpais.

He clutched his head and was refusing to cry, but it was _so damn hard. _This was Tanba's third and final year, and he was injured.

Because of Miyuki's injury, Eijun knew what this meant. He was going to be catching in the games behind home plate when Miyuki was the one supposed to be there. He was the better catcher and was rightfully supposed to be getting the starting catcher's spot.

"Oi, stop your crying, jeez." Eijun was startled, and stood up. There was Miyuki in all his glory and on crutches to support him. Eijun couldn't help but glance down at the heavily bandaged foot.

"Stop looking at me like I'm the pity party!" Miyuki snapped.

Eijun jumped in his place.

Miyuki took a spot on the bench and Eijun sat on the opposite end.

"Sorry." Miyuki adverted his gaze to the wall in front of him. "I wanted to play really badly this season. I really wanted to have a rival for the catcher's spot, but one bad collision and this tournament is practically gone." He sighed.

"I want to play as a catcher this year, so you better carry, support, and lead our team until I come back, idiot!" The words startle Eijun even more than he already was and nodded his head with much enthusiasm and respect that Miyuki was worried that his head would fall off.

"I WILL, MIYUKI-SENPAI!"

Miyuki winced and rubbed his ear. "Hey, no need to scream in my ear…"

**X**

Miyuki and Chris-senpai were Eijun's drill sergeants. Miyuki, on his crutches while yelling at Eijun to do this or that all under the impression that is what is expected of the catcher, and Chris-senpai teaching him strategic plays, different from his own. Eijun didn't complain, very unlike himself.

Furuya noticed how his now permanent catching partner trained so much harder after Tanba _and _Miyuki got injured. And so did the rest of the team. They stepped up their game.

But the obsessive tendency that Eijun developed made Furuya worried. No longer was their lunchtime filled with ramblings. Eijun analyzed countless of scored books Miyuki-senpai seemed to have as an unlimited supply of. He developed bags under his eyes and nobody seemed to notice how cranky he's gotten. Eijun's been yelling at anything.

Furuya would often glance outside of his dorm room's window that looks over the field to find the pitcher constantly running, batting (although he is never going to get anywhere with _that_ skill), or just acting out imaginary plays in the diamond, all alone.

The first games of the Koshien tournament were drawing near. The importance of the tournament weighed heavily on the first and second years. This was the third years' last season. They had to win.

The person who, surprisingly, understood the circumstances the best that was not a third year, but was the first-year southpaw catcher, Furuya observed. He worked himself to death.

"Stop running, idiot. You'll hurt yourself." Furuya was causally standing near Eijun, who was resting on the ground as a break from the sprints he was working on. It was dark and nobody but this idiot was even thinking of training even more after today's practices. Well, everyone but this moron.

Furuya was vaguely reminded of their first meeting.

"I have to train and get better! I can't let Tanba-senpai and Miyuki-senpai down."

Furuya slapped the back of Eijun's head hard at hearing the foolish words.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"

"This is a baseball _team, _Sawamura-kun. You play with others and you rely on others. Baseball isn't a one-man sport. Everybody is training hard. So stop your yelling and go to bed. I'm sick of having you be cranky and grumpy just because you don't get enough sleep," Furuya said.

Eijun had the decency of looking flustered. He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I guess you're right."

Furuya nodded his head and started to walk back to his own dorm room when Eijun yelled, "Hey, you like Harry Potter, right?"

Furuya nodded.

"Well I got a care package from my friend back home, and I got the complete Harry Potter movie set. Want to meet me in the common room tomorrow night to watch the first one?" invited Eijun.

An uncontrolled smile spread across Furuya's face and he nodded saying, "Yeah, that'd be cool."

"Awesome! It's a date!" Eijun quickly left Furuya with a wave of his hand and he was gone, unintentionally making Furuya blush.

_It's a date…_

**X**

Furuya collapsed on the couch, in the spot next to Eijun. The day's practice was grueling and everybody seemed to be on high alert for the Yakushi match the in the next days. The dark horse, who beat a team that was expected to win. Tanba was to be pitching the next day.

Furuya was more than happy for the distraction of a good Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the every-couple-of-days ritual to relieve the stress of baseball that came to be because of an invite from Eijun.

"Is it just me that's sore?" Eijun groaned from his spot on the couch.

Furuya shook his head, too tired to respond. He started to get comfortable on the couch in the common room, while Eijun griped about having to get up from his spot on the couch to turn off the lights and put on the movie. Eijun returned to his spot.

The theme song of Harry Potter started to play and a very familiar opening scene was played, but Furuya couldn't focus nor could he pursue the conversation they usually had during the movies about movie vs. book.

He was so tired…

His eyelids were so heavy…

He gave into the inviting darkness.

He woke up with a foreign and heavy object on his lap. It took a moment in his groggy state to realize what it is, which is Eijun's head using his lap as a pillow. He and Eijun must've fallen asleep during the movie. He stared at his sleepy catcher and took a moment to cherish this moment secretly.

Eijun's face wasn't marred with those crinkles in between his eyebrows that he usually sported when he was being teased. He wasn't frowning at the scorebooks or the way Miyuki-senpai was being a dick. He was sleeping peacefully with a relaxed face that made him look like a carefree person, and Furuya found it extremely attractive.

Furuya sighed before grabbing the remote to turn off the rolling credits of the movie and shut off the television. He tried to restrict his movements to not wake the boy in his lap. Eijun owed Furuya. Big time.

The two baseball players woke up in a cuddling and intimate position blushing from the neck up, as some guys saw them in the position and were snickering.

**X**

"Don't you see the way he looks at you?" questions Miyuki-senpai, finally off the crutches.

The question takes Furuya by surprise. "What?"

Miyuki only chuckled at the boy's obliviousness to the obvious attraction between them. "Eijun."

Furuya doesn't have any response and just rolled his eyes while adverting his gaze from his senior. "He doesn't stare at me."

Miyuki smiled a knowing smile that made Furuya want to pitch a fastball at his face to make him shut up. "Suit yourself. Just keep an eye out; there are others that _do _want to get with Eijun." Miyuki left the pitcher to his own thoughts.

Furuya felt unease from Miyuki's statements. But why is he feeling unease in the first place? Does he really like the loud-mouthed catcher that way? And he came up with a striking conclusion that he didn't come to terms with until then:

Yes. He liked Sawamura Eijun.

But it wasn't like he was going to admit that to anybody or anything in the near-by future.

Funny how things never go as planned.

The day after the Yakushi match and after practices ended, Miyuki cornered Furuya for the hundredth time after Eijun left the bullpen to go take a shower. "So, did you get it on with Sawamura yet?" he asked cheekily.

The day that Miyuki chose to ask that question was not a good day for Furuya. He had been pitching in extreme heat with the catchers who kept criticizing him and he was so tired and annoyed at Miyuki for always trying to hook him and Sawamura up. He snapped.

"Stop saying that! I don't like Eijun that way and I never will. Get over it and stop talking about it!" Furuya snapped at the senior catcher, who had a crestfallen look on his face. But he wasn't looking at Furuya; he was looking behind him.

Furuya felt a sudden dread in his stomach as he whipped to see who was behind him and his stomach suddenly became an endless pit of anxiety.

Eijun was standing there with his catcher's mitt in his hand while looking extremely down casted. "I was… uh… just getting my glove…" He made a speedy retreat while Furuya and Miyuki stood frozen in their place. Furuya can only think how_ stupid _he was.

"You're in deep shit," said Miyuki.

Obviously.

**X**

Furuya had an extremely hard time tracking Eijun down after the incident. He couldn't find him anywhere, and Eijun practically avoided Furuya at all costs. Eijun was still his catcher, but no other interaction unless it was about baseball. Furuya missed the loud presence of the boy.

Eijun somehow kept disappearing right after practice before Furuya was able to talk to him.

But one day, the day right before the Sensen match of the semi-finals, Furuya tracked him down while Eijun was putting away the tire in which they fought over on one of the first times they met.

"Eijun! Wait up!" Furuya called out. He cornered Eijun, who looked at Furuya wearily.

"What do you want?"

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Furuya asked, taking a step closer.

"I haven't been avoiding you."

"Liar."

"Okay, so you want to hear the truth?" Eijun asked angrily.

"Yeah, I do because you have been avoiding me for _no reason_." Furuya was starting to get frustrated because the boy in front of him.

"Okay, I'll tell you!" started Eijun. "I was _hurt_ from what you said the other day, about not being with me because _I like you-_"

Eijun never got to finish his well-thought out rant because Furuya leaned in, and gently pulled Eijun's face towards his. And then they were kissing.

A blush quickly rose to both of their cheeks and Eijun slipped his hands around the taller boy's neck, making him lean in closer.

"I like you too," Furuya said quietly, after they broke the kiss.

That was how they got together.

**X**

The crowd is screaming in the stadium. Inashiro vs. Seidou, one of the most anticipated matches of the entire season. Winner goes to Koshien. Loser goes home. Miyuki played the first three innings, and then was substituted out for Eijun because he was putting too much pressure on his ankle.

Furuya was up at the mound and was pitching his hardest. He cannot lose, not when Tanba-senpai and so many others were counting on him. It was the top of the ninth inning with Seidou losing by one. Furuya's heart was pounding in his ears, tense as ever. He already threw a ball.

Eijun gives him a signal. He puts down his pointer finger and then both his middle and index finger. Fastball, outside corner. But before he started his wind up, he saw a signal that was never part of their choice of baseball signals. He put down his pinky finger, his index finger, and his thumb.

_Furuya was snuggled in the crook of Eijun's body, his boyfriend's arm slung over Furuya's shoulders. They were in Furuya's room discussing baseball signs to use in the big Inashiro match. Well, a bit less talking and a bit more snuggling. _

"_How about this as a fastball?" Eijun asked, using his free hand to show a one with his index finger. Furuya agreed that they can use this for the fast ball. _

_Eijun then raised his pinky finger, index, and thumb. "Hm… what should this one be?"_

"_I love you."_

_The sudden words startle Eijun out of his mind and a deep blush creeps up his face. "Wha-what?"_

"_The sign means 'I love you'," Furuya explained simply. _

"_Gah- why must you say those embarrassing things!" _

_Furuya laughed at making his boyfriend squirm and blush._

Furuya's sudden tenseness relaxes and he felt like he can do anything. And he winded up and threw to one of the most-trusted people in his life.

Strike.

Eijun said I love you.

**X**

Their loss of the match against Inashiro was harsh. The losers were going home.

Every single person on the team was crying, save for few. Eijun felt guilt swell up in him. If he only did better calling and catching, then he maybe they would've been the winners.

The loss occurred when Eijun didn't catch a pitch. The ball hit his mitt but then Eijun didn't get a grip on the ball and it slipped out of his glove. Before he knew it and before he could do anything about it, the runner on third ran home, making Inashiro's score gap larger.

Eijun cried openly at the closing of the game.

Furuya couldn't _not _cry.

**X**

Furuya thought that maybe he finally understood the famous quote of Albus Dumbledore, because in the dark time that followed the loss of the finals, he finally let someone in. And that person acted like his light was Sawamura Eijun.

Sawamura was his light that he finally let in. He wasn't oblivious and naïve to think that they were going to stay together forever and ever, but he couldn't say that that wouldn't be perfect.

Furuya lay on the couch like so many times before watching a Harry Potter movie while using Eijun's body as a pillow. His boyfriend was dealing with so much grief from the loss, but Furuya was sure they would survive this. Because they were strong, and they would always watch Harry Potter, and they would be there for one another.

Because they were each other's lights that they allowed in during such a sad time of loss.


End file.
